https://www.icrc.org/en/news-release/israel-and-occupied-territories-icr...
Starting today, ICRC teams will receive the hostages held in Gaza and transfer them to Israeli authorities. In a separate operation, ICRC teams will transfer Palestinian detainees held in Israeli places of detention to Gaza and the West Bank. The ICRC will also facilitate the transfer of remains of the deceased so that families can bury their loved ones with dignity.
The ICRC’s role in this operation is that of a neutral intermediary and is strictly humanitarian. The parties to the conflict determined the terms of the ceasefire agreement, including the individuals to be released and the timeline; the ICRC was not involved in the negotiations.
These operations are highly complex and require meticulous logistical and security planning to minimize the risk to life for anyone involved. It is the responsibility of the parties to the agreement to ensure they are conducted safely and with dignity.
As part of previous release operations, the ICRC has facilitated the release and transfer of 148 hostages and 1,931 detainees since October 2023. These operations are a powerful example of how the ICRC’s role as a neutral intermediary can save and change lives, provided that the parties come to an agreement. It is crucial that all the relevant actors abide by their commitments to end the pain and suffering endured by so many.
Note to editors:
The ICRC will not be providing any footage of released hostages or detainees during these operations. This is out of respect for the dignity of those released and the condition they may be in, as well as issues linked to their safety. We strongly recommend that media outlets do the same.
About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial, and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other situations of violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
